Falling Into Hell
by Azreal
Summary: Duo Maxwell had a dream...and then the earth swallowed him and the other pilots up, tossing them into a world they've never seen...yaoi, pairings 1x2, 3x4, 5xI haven't decided yet *chapt. 3 HERE YAY!*
1. Falling Into Hell

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea __

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea. All characters, except for ones of my own creation, belong to the wonderful and life-saving people who created the show.

Warnings—Swearing, AU, some OOC, homosexuality, supernatural elements, twisted Bible elements in here, though not much

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"The Magic is in me—the Magic is in me. It's in every one of us."

The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The city that's born of nerve and steam,

The city that queens the inland sea,

Lay under the sky with a flash and a gleam—

A something wonderful fair to see;

And guests come in by lake and stream

To see another Midsummer Dream.

Colours flashed in the glowing light,

And colour ran on each brilliant street,

And music thrilled through each beaming night

And lightened the fall of ten thousand feet;

And voices ran in a flood-tide strong

That sounded afar like a charmed song.

The hill was proud of the light-lit bay,

And the bay was proud of the lordly hill,

And both were proud of the town that lay

Locked in their embrace fond and still;

And Venice was never as fair as she,

That glowed on the shores of the summer sea.

Her sons come home from far-off lands,

And, beaming, looked on her splendid face;

She welcomed them back as she took their hands

With a mother's love and queenly grace

They felt as they saw her beauty there

None other was half so fond and fair.

—The Khan

A poetic tribute to Hamilton, circa 1890 

Falling Into Hell

Part I

Written by Azreal

pippin_elf@yahoo.com

Or (for my alter ego Blight)

horde_king@yahoo.ca

My (Blight's) Web Page

http://www.geocities.com/horde_king/index.html

The stars glittered like diamonds in the night sky as clouds serenely passed overhead, propelled by an invisible wind that I could not see. The breeze that caressed my skin was cool and soothing, stroking my unbound hair like an intimate lover, and ruffling my clothes just so, as I tilted my head back to gaze at the canopy of velvet above me. The twin moons that hung like glass balls from a Christmas tree shimmered bright silver, shadowed only by the dusky clouds being driven across the sky.

Seemingly so far below me, my home town was garnished with brightly coloured ribbons, draperies of gold and silver. Floats pulled by the grand stallions of the local farmers, trussed-up with bells, jewels of all types and sizes and ribbons tied in their manes tramped down the cobblestone streets, their hoofs loudly clapping against the earth as they paraded proudly towards the Palace of Prophets. People danced in the streets, women's gowns swirling about them as they twirled with their partners, dressed in their most formal clothing. Commoner and noble alike capered in the streets and along the walkways, as vendors sold food and drink to satisfy the mass of party-goers.

I smiled to myself at the joy I felt radiating off of the people, my townsmen. The festivities they enjoyed were in honour of King Astaroth and Queen Lilith's child, Princess Lena's, birthday. The future Queen and heir to the throne of Shadowstone, Lena was blonde, blue-eyed, and as healthy as any could hope for at the age of thirteen. The gods must have smiled upon my Lord and Lady, as nearly all-previous heirs to the throne were sickly, and died before the age of thirty summers. Astaroth and his wife were blessed themselves, being forty summers and as spry as though they were but eighteen.

I sighed, sitting down amongst the flowers of the great hill that surrounds the only world I know, the soft grass tickling my bare feet and stroking my arms as it swayed in the wind. My hair still tossed around me, a cloud of chestnut against pale skin and ivory clothes of silk. Birds and other sky creatures soar above me, dark spots against the sky, and in the distance a dragon roared as it hunted for food.

Once again I wondered to myself why I was not within the throng of people celebrating for the Princess. As a patriotic citizen of Shadowstone, I ought to have been among them and being pleased, laughing and sipping wine. As the Princess's closest friend, I ought to have been spending time with her, laughing with her, supping with her. I had been invited to the castle feast, yet…I had turned down the invitation, stating that I had important things to attend to that could not be held off. I know I injured Lady Lena's feelings, and yet…I couldn't accept the invitation.

__

"But…Eurynome, why?"

"Something just…doesn't feel right, Lena."

"Surely you can forget your responsibilities for one night?"

"Lena…"

"Please, Eurynome."

"No, I…I can't, my Lady."

"It's Gideon, isn't it?"

"What? No!"

"I know you love him, Eury. If it is him…please tell me. I won't be angry."

"Lena, it has nothing to do with Gideon."

"Then what is it?"

"It's…nothing, Lena. Don't worry about it."

"Eury…"

"I must leave."

"Eurynome, wait!!!"

"Goodbye, Princess. I'm sorry."

"Eurynome!!!"

I had run from her, run from the Princess. I just could not shake the feeling that something was deadly wrong. As the Princess's Alchemist (a sorcerer charged with the protection of the King's daughter) and a member of the Magicians' Guild, I have always relied upon my instincts and feelings. Very rarely did they lead me on a foolish path, and I could not shake the horrid, foreboding feeling that something was most definitely wrong. So, as I always did when I was struck with the sense of wrong-ness, I retreated to the Dragon's Mount to explore and pinpoint the source of the disturbing feeling. I closed my eyes, leaving behind the bright colours of the bay and the city, in favour of the darkness of what lay within my mind.

As usual, my visions started out the same way. Thousands upon thousands of lights danced before my eyes on the canvas of my eyelids, followed by a long corridor with a brightly-lit doorway at the very end of it. I ran, as usual, towards the light, towards my power.

And that is where it all went to the seven hells.

The doorway before me darkened to pitch black, but I kept running. Abruptly, there was a tiny orange light within it that exploded into flames. I gasped and tried to slow down, but I kept moving, speeding up as the flames roared forth, enveloping the frame and reaching out to me like clawing, sparking hands. I screamed as I tried to turn away, but something grasped me so tightly that I felt my body freeze as it was pulled towards the roaring inferno. I struggled vainly, howling in terror as the heat of the blaze scathed my flesh, burning it. The fire devoured me, and the assault on my ears immediately after an instant of pure and complete silence nearly annihilated my eardrums.

There was fire everywhere, people screaming in a thousand voices, horses shrieked in terror as they trampled over the people in the streets, a horrible cacophony of sigh and sound ripping me apart from the inside out. The scent of burnt flesh, the trampled and burnt bodies scattered everywhere, children crying for their parents and vice versa, the howls of warriors as they fought, the clashing of swords and the thump of fresh bodies hitting the ground…all of these sights and sounds, among others equally horrifying, assaulted me. 

I collapsed where I was in my vision, eyes wide as I began to tremble. My stomach threatened to purge itself of everything I had eaten that night, and I felt bile rise in my throat. A sudden cold shiver overcame me as I saw the Princess, bleeding profusely from whip-wounds, being raped and beaten. She was screaming so terribly, I felt my ears would shatter if I heard anymore.

Two ocean-blue eyes replaced the scene before me, narrowed and full of hatred. The emotions rolling from those normally gentle eyes were terrifying; uncensored hate, anger, the want for vengeance, and a promise of death. Lena's voice echoed in my mind as she spoke, her tone dripping with rage, hatred, and loathing.

"The time will come when my people will be avenged, and our enemies will suffer for years upon years in the deepest dungeon of the seven hells…"

I covered my ears and closed my eyes, my voice rising as the horror of it all finally overcame me. Lena, pure and kind, reduced to a war-monger and full of hate. It wasn't right, wasn't right. It just wasn't right… I cried out miserably, the cold blue eyes of my Princess burning through my soul. 

"NOOO!!!!"

When I awoke from the vision, I found I was falling.

The Earth had split, the ground parting beneath me as the soft grass vanished, replaced by the crisp, cold air whipping around me. Sparks flew into my eyes from the odd, orange flames below me, as ash fell from the sky above. The ground rumbled as it swallowed me whole, and as I continued to fall, it changed…

Stone, dirt…

__

Wind.

Slime, mud, and filth…

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Flames.

Oddly-shaped rock formations…

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Earth.

Balconies of rock and bones…

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Water.

Buildings of stone on every side…

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Gideon…

Large windows with glowing eyes looking out…

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My Guardian…

Screeching and howling beasts crawling up the walls…

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My friend…

Streets made of skulls…

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My love…

Black, defunct carriages drawn by half-dead stallions…

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Help me…

Bat-winged children playing with rats and other monstrosities…

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Let the little children come to us…for such is the kingdom of the gods…

Demons selling bone-handled blades…

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I walked in the valley of the shadow of death…

Gargoyle waterspouts coming alive and snarling…

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My gods, why have you forsaken me?

The demons turn to look at me…

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Gideon…my love…

Their eyes widen, and their lips part in grand smiles of fangs and forked tongues…

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Where are you?

The flapping of wings surrounds me as something grabs me by the waist…

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Gideon…

I turn and see him…

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They won't let me go…

The demons frown, and snarls cross their features as they start towards us…

__

Please, save yourself…

His eyes are cold, savage, and heartless toward them…

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It's too late for me, my love…

…yet they burn with an inner passion for me, and I know he won't let me go…

__

I am become Death…

…even if it's too late…

__

The destroyer of worlds…

To Be Continued… 

Questions, comments, flames, praise, whatever you like, send to pippin_elf@yahoo.com or horde_king@yahoo.ca. 


	2. Falling Into Hell 2

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea __

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea. All characters, except for ones of my own creation, belong to the wonderful and life-saving people who created the show.

Warnings—Swearing, AU, some OOC, homosexuality, supernatural elements

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

"The Magic is in me—the Magic is in me. It's in every one of us."

The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

The city that's born of nerve and steam,

The city that queens the inland sea,

Lay under the sky with a flash and a gleam—

A something wonderful fair to see;

And guests come in by lake and stream

To see another Midsummer Dream.

Colours flashed in the glowing light,

And colour ran on each brilliant street,

And music thrilled through each beaming night

And lightened the fall of ten thousand feet;

And voices ran in a flood-tide strong

That sounded afar like a charmed song.

The hill was proud of the light-lit bay,

And the bay was proud of the lordly hill,

And both were proud of the town that lay

Locked in their embrace fond and still;

And Venice was never as fair as she,

That glowed on the shores of the summer sea.

Her sons come home from far-off lands,

And, beaming, looked on her splendid face;

She welcomed them back as she took their hands

With a mother's love and queenly grace

They felt as they saw her beauty there

None other was half so fond and fair.

—The Khan

_A poetic tribute to Hamilton, circa 1890_

Falling Into Hell

Part II

Written by Azreal (Blight)

horde_king@yahoo.ca

OR

pippin_elf@yahoo.com

http://www.geocities.com/horde_king/index.html

The night was cool, serene, and dark. The moon hung in the sky like a glass ball, as bats flittered across it on silent wings, their nightly hunt for insects renewed after a long day of sleep. A large, dark house sat atop a great hill, surrounded on three sides by oak trees, large pines, and maples. A large pond guarded the East side of the property, a tiny boathouse in the middle of it. The grass on the hill rippled in the wind, and the branches of the trees swayed gently.

Sitting atop the house, rump resting rather uncomfortably against the hard tiles, Duo Maxwell stared at the diamond-covered canopy above him, eyes locked on the moon. His face was pulled taut in a frown, violet eyes narrowed, bangs hanging in his face. He was dressed in loose-fitting, fuzzy black pajamas that were so old they looked almost gray. An equally worn bathrobe was wrapped around his shoulders, and his feet, tucked in, were bare. He leaned back on his hands, head craned back. His half-braided hair fell over one shoulder, the loose strands falling down his chest to brush against the tiled roof.

"Well old pal, I guess it's time for another talk," he whispered, watching the moon. "What brought me out tonight wasn't the normal stuff. You know, Wufei screaming about injustice and accusing me of dishonouring him, Trowa not talking to me because of that comment on having an affair with his lions, Heero bitching at me about eating too much junk food or the 'Omae o korosu' bit. That hasn't bugged me for a while. I think I've become immune to it." He chuckled wryly. "Tonight's insomnia attack is due to the nightmare I had, Mr. Moon." He let out a deep, weary sigh as he began to tell the silent globe of the nightmare he had had, looking at his hands, which twiddled with his braid. 

"It was fucking scary, buddy. Granted, being a terrorist means nightmares come with the package, but this had nothing to do with the war. It was so real…but how could it have been? That's never happened to me, as far as I know. Unless I've suffered some sort of trauma which brought on a bout of Alzheimer's, or the world fell through some whacked-out rip in the dimensional fabric of the universe, I don't think that ever happened." He looked back up at the moon, as though waiting for an answer. He smirked. "I guess you don't have any answers for me, either." He sighed. "I guess that's to be expected. After all, you're just a really big hunk of rock formed by dust particles over a million years ago." He blinked at himself. "I think…"

Abruptly, there was a thumping and scuffling behind him, and Duo spun around to see two hands clawing at the edge of the roof. He leaped to his feet when he heard a small voice yelp. "AH!!" There was more scuffling, and then a blonde head appeared over the side, eyes wide. "Duo, help me!"

The braided boy stared for a moment, then chuckled as he moved to help the other boy up onto the roof, grabbing his hands and hauling him unceremoniously up to join him. As the blonde panted, Duo shook his head, smirking. "Quatre, how long were you listening to me?"

Quatre looked up at his friend, a small frown on his face. "Long enough to know that talking to the moon isn't going to help you figure out what your dream meant," he replied, standing up straight and looking at the braided boy carefully. The blonde Arabian was about the same size as Duo, if not a little bit smaller. His aquamarine eyes carefully scanned his friend, sunlight blonde hair falling into his pale face. He was dressed in a pair of light pink and white, two-piece pajamas, the shirt buttoned up and the pants held up by a string. He frowned. "I know you haven't been sleeping well lately, Duo. If you were having nightmares, why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

The braided boy frowned, turning and walking back to where he had been sitting before, his black bathrobe flying out behind him. He sat down and wrapped his arms around his knees, the deep frown still on his face. Quatre joined him, the two sitting in silence for a moment before Duo spoke.

"If I had told you, you probably would have told the others," he replied, shaking his head. "I don't need Wufei going off on another tirade about how weak I am, or Heero flipping out because if he knows I haven't been sleeping, it will affect my performance as a Gundam pilot." He made a face. "Then again, being the 'Perfect Soldier,' he probably already knows my sleeping habits have been way off lately."

Quatre chuckled. "Heero does have a way of finding things like that out," he said, rolling his eyes. "Trowa is the same way. I don't know how he does it, but he always knows when I'm tempted to break Wufei's nose when he's being an insensitive prick. He also knows when Wufei and Heero are in a bad mood, and he gets me out of there in time to save my skin."

Duo snickered, covering his mouth and laughing as quietly as he could so as not to wake the others. "Trowa," he giggled. "Has a way with animals!" Quatre threw back his head and laughed, also covering his mouth.

"Indeed," the blonde giggled.

"What's so funny?" a calm voice, tinged with amusement, asked from behind them. Both boys turned to see a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes, dressed only in a pair of white slacks and housecoat, standing behind them. His hair fell over one eye, effectively hiding it, but they sparkled with amusement. Apparently, he had had no trouble accessing the roof, whereas Quatre had nearly fallen and broken his neck. Quatre laughed quietly.

"Trowa!" the blonde exclaimed, pleased to see the other boy. "What are you doing up here? I thought you were sleeping." Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"I woke when you tried to climb out the window," he replied, smirking at the memory of seeing two of Quatre's legs flailing wildly just outside the window, bare feet kicking helplessly as he fought to gain access to the roof.

Duo and Quatre looked at each other, suddenly remembering what they had been talking about only moments ago. They both broke into gales of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Trowa repeated, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at both boys with a tint of amusement in his features.

"We were just talking…" Quatre began, giggling.

"About things," Duo finished, giving Quatre an amused, secretive look. "Nothing important, really. You wouldn't be interested." The blonde snickered as the taller boy came to sit beside him.

"Oh really?" Trowa asked, leaning back on his palms and watching the other two boys, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. "Well?" he prompted, knowing that one of the two boys would tell him. Duo snickered, and nodded.

"Yeah, you know," he said, his smile widening. "You have a way with animals, and we were just talking about Wufei…"

"That it was funny you appeared," Quatre chimed in, and the two boys went off on another round of giggling. Trowa shook his head, his face betraying his amusement.

"Wufei does have an animalistic way about him," the taller of the three boys commented, which caused Duo and Quatre to break out in loud laughter once more. Abruptly, a loud voice roared up at them from within the house.

"Would you BE SILENT!!! SOME of us NEED to sleep!!!"

Duo crawled over to the edge of the house and leaned over the side to the window below. An angry Chinese boy with jet back hair that fell, loosely, down to his shoulders was glaring up at him, dark eyes smoldering. He wore only a pair of black sweatpants, shirtless, and his hands were on the windowsill, tightly clenched. Duo grinned and waved, his braid falling over the side, dangling just in front of the other boy's face.

"Yo, Wufei!" the braided boy shouted, waving. "It's funny that you decided to speak up. We were just talking about you!" He grinned as Quatre made his way over, both of their heads hanging over the side to see Wufei. The blonde smiled and waved at the irate Chinese boy.

"INJUSTICE!!!! Maxwell, you will be silent or I will punish you!!!" Quatre laughed as Duo rolled his eyes, the two of them laughing at Wufei's rage. 

"In the name of the moon?" Trowa suddenly asked. Duo and Quatre whipped around to stare at the taller boy, jaws agape. They started laughing as Wufei let out an outraged screeched.

"BARTON!!!!!"

Duo's eyes suddenly widened as Wufei disappeared, returning with a sword in hand. He began to climb out the window as both Quatre and Duo leaped back.

"Trowa!" Quatre shouted, eyes wide. "Wufei's coming and he's got his sword!!! Run!!" Trowa only raised an eyebrow, a large smile on his face. Duo squeaked as he backed away from the edge of the roof, Wufei's hands scrambling to get a hold while clutching his sword at the same time. After a moment, his head appeared and he glared at Trowa.

"Barton," he ground out, pulling himself up. "You will pay for that remark. You have dishonoured me!" Trowa got to his feet, watching Wufei carefully though he was now grinning like a fool.

"Trowa," Duo hissed, backing slowly away from the Chinese boy who was stomping towards the tall, uni-banged pilot of Heavyarms. "I think you should run. NOW!!"

Wufei turned and pointed his sword at Duo. "You be silent, cur!" he shouted. "You're next!!" Duo 'meeped' and backed away, holding his hands up defensively. Quatre watched them all nervously, afraid that someone was really going to get hurt. Wufei's eyes blazed as he stalked toward Trowa, who watched him calmly.

Abruptly, the sound of a gun's safety button clicking off came to everyone's ears. They turned, and they saw Heero standing on the other side of the roof, a gun pointed at Wufei. "Omae o korosu," he began, watching Wufei intently, "if you touch Barton." Unlike the other boys, Heero was dressed in his customary black spandex shorts and green tank top. Duo often wondered if the Japanese boy slept at all.

Wufei growled. "They will not let me sleep! And HE," he pointed at Trowa, "has insulted my honour!!" Heero only raised an eyebrow.

"Not from what I heard," he commented dryly, his nasal voice having a touch of amusement in it though his face remained blank. Wufei growled and opened his mouth to say something when Quatre shouted suddenly. Everyone looked at him.

His eyes wide, the blonde pointed out towards the pond. "Look!" he hissed, awe, fear and astonishment in his voice. The others did as told, and their eyes widened.

"What the hell?!" Duo sputtered out.

The pond, which moments before had been clear, was now enveloped in a thick, gray mist. It swept across the property like a wall, the trees and forest that stood in its way vanishing as it passed, heading right for the house. 

A strong wind came from nowhere, blowing the boy's hair around and causing them to struggle to stay upright. Quatre cried out as he was nearly thrown off the roof, but Trowa was suddenly there, holding him steady. Duo joined the two, holding on to Quatre and Trowa both, his violet eyes wide with fear. Wufei snarled and ran to the three boys who were huddled together. Lifting his chin high, he held his sword up in a defensive way, trying to protect them. Heero was at his side in an instant, his eyes narrowed as he watched the fog come rushing towards them like a freight train.

"Omae o korosu," Heero growled at the fog. Wufei stared at him.

"HOW do you suppose to accomplish THAT!?"

Abruptly, the sky darkened. All five boys look up to see dark, heavy clouds descending from the sky, hiding the moon from view and causing the world to plunge into darkness. Lightning flashed violently above them as thunder rumbled and cracked. The wind that had nearly caused the boys to be thrown grew more violent with each second passing. It ripped Duo's hair from the half-braid it was in, causing it to be whipped about his face and behind him like a cloud. The rest of the boys' hair and clothes were billowing back and behind them. 

The house trembled from the sudden tremors that caused the earth it was perched on to split, orange light erupting from within the new crevices as smoke and ash coursed up and into the raging sky. Trees split in half and fell into the glowing fissures in the ground as the wind forced the smoke into the faces of the boys, threatening to either choke them or blow them away. The house began to shake violently in time with the earth, and the five pilots found themselves losing the battle to stay on the roof and keep their balance.

They each fell to their sides, rolling across the roof as the gusts of wind pushed them violently away from each other. Quatre screamed in terror as he struggled to grasp the scratchy tiles and keep himself away from the edge. Trowa's eyes were wide as he valiantly fought his way towards the blonde, the wind shoving him back as much space as he gained. Wufei was trying to get to his feet, only to be thrown down again, his voice filled with fear and anger as he screamed. Heero was on his belly, moving slowly towards the others, his jaw set in a determined jut. Duo lay on his back, unmoving, his expressive violet eyes staring at the sky in shock, terror, and astonishment.

He watched in morbid fascination as the lightning above him seemed to be in a great battle, forks of it clashing together as thunder roared, flashes of light ripping the sky apart. The screams of his friends were drowned out by the thunder, which threatened to blast the braided boy's eardrums. He wondered dazedly if what was happening really was real.

Quatre screamed again, a shrill sound that brought Duo out of his stupor. He rolled onto his stomach to face his friends, and saw something which horrified him more than the dream he had had earlier.

The roof was splitting in half along with the house. 

The large crack separated him from the others, and it was his name that Quatre had screamed into the roaring wind. As the earth reared up, he found himself being carried with it, and the house collapsing back and towards the ground. He glanced behind him to see a very large, very hot looking hole in the ground, where the earth had split. Slowly, as though he was dreaming, he looked back at his friends. He found himself unable to utter sound as he saw his friend's horrified faces leave his line of sight, and he fell towards the burning fire of death. The last thing he heard was Heero, his voice filled with pure terror.

"DUO!!!! NO!!!!"

Dazedly, he wondered why Heero sounded so frightened. He was the 'Perfect Soldier', after all…why would he be worried about him?

Then everything went dark.

* * * * * * * * * * *

When Duo unwillingly followed the northern side of the house into the fissures in the earth, Heero Yuy's heart skipped several beats before speeding up to a wild run. Blood roared in his ears as his heart furiously pumped it through his veins, his adrenaline higher than it had ever been. His muscles tensed as tight as a bowstring and he barely realized that he was running towards the edge of the roof. A thick fog had settled over his mind, and the only thing he could see before him was Duo's face, expressive violet eyes wide with terror and confusion as he fell away from them and into the flames.

Heero didn't acknowledge Quatre's cries for him to stop, nor did he hear Wufei screaming at him to come back. The only thing in Heero Yuy's mind was Duo Maxwell and his frightened eyes, silently begging Heero to help him. There was nothing else—the braided baka and only the braided baka. He stopped at the edge of what was left of the building, staring down into the abyss of fire and smoke. His eyes widened.

Where the ground had split, Heero had expected to see perhaps lava, or flames, or other such horrors that come with earthquakes. Instead, all he saw was a cloud of dense smoke, pitch black in colour and ominous. Lightning and electrical sparks flashed and cracked within the cloud, lighting it up and then casting it into darkness once again, only to be lit up once more in a continuous dance of light and dark. The smoke swirled and twisted like a huge snake, crackling viciously as Heero watched, cobalt eyes wide. Abruptly, they narrowed, and his jaw stuck out in determination.

Duo was in there. Heero would get him out, whether he was dead or alive.

'Mission accepted,' Heero thought as he hurled himself forward and into the air. His already messy chocolate brown hair blew away from his face as he leaped into the dense smoke and fog that surrounded what was left of the house, hands outstretched as though he was reaching for something that he couldn't quite get. He closed his eyes against the scene before him as he plummeted into hell, two violet eyes smiling at him on the canopy of his eyelids.

"HEERO!!!" Quatre screamed, horrified as he watched the Japanese boy throw himself over the side, following their braided friend. "NO!!!" The blonde leaped to his feet, tearing free of Trowa's grip as he rushed forward. 'I can't let this happen!!!' he thought, tears running freely down his cheeks as he closed distance on the flashing lights and smoke. The wind knocked him to his knees, and he began to scramble forward instead, hands clawing at the broken tiles of the roof, his breath coming in hitching sobs. Reaching the edge, he had a similar reaction to Heero's as he saw the crackling smog beneath him.

Had the situation had any sense of normality to it, the boy knew that no one could have survived the fall. Yet, he still felt his friends. The terror coming from Duo, as well as agonizing pain, nearly caused Quatre to pass out. Heero was frightened, but instead of pain, Quatre only felt a great loneliness coming from the usually stoic boy. The feelings coming from there were muted, as though they were behind a thick wall, but the fact that he could still feel them gave him hope, however small it was. They were down there somewhere, alive, and Quatre wanted them out. Never had he wanted something so badly—it threatened to rip him apart from the inside. He knew if he didn't do something, quickly, he would lose them forever.

'Never,' he thought, clenching his fists. Anger welled up within him, and he spat viciously to the side as his shirt and pants billowed in the wind. 'I will not lose them!!'

Clutching his heart against the fear and pain he felt coming from the two missing boys, Quatre Winner threw his own fear to the roaring wind. Ripping his pajama shirt off, he let out a blood-curdling scream of rage, his tears being carried away in the wind as he threw back his head.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!!!" he screamed at the sky, stepping off the roof and into space, eyes blazing with fury as he felt his friends falling away from him, farther into the darkness.

'Heero, Duo…don't leave me behind,' he thought as he threw himself forward, following the other two boys into the pits.

Trowa and Wufei watched as Quatre screamed at the sky and then leaped off the roof, following their friends. The two boys looked at each other, grim determination clouding their features as they realized they couldn't let the other three go alone. Obviously, from Quatre's outburst, the other two were still alive, which meant that the blonde was going to try to save them.

"This is an injustice!!!" Wufei hissed beneath his breath, his fist tightening on the hilt of the sword he still carried. He squinted his eyes, staring at his shaking hands. Despite threatening to kill the braided pilot, Wufei respected his fighting skills and ability to survive. Also, the Chinese pilot couldn't help but enjoy the Deathscythe pilot's company. "I cannot allow this to happen," he whispered. Dark eyes blazing, he snapped his head around to look at Trowa, who was watching him with an equally angry glare.

"Quatre," Trowa whispered, eyes narrowing.

"Heero," Wufei added, nodding. 

They paused.

"Duo."

The last two pilots nodded curtly to each other. Then they turned and ran, bare feet thumping against the tiles of the roof as the house began to tremble violently. The wind ripped at their clothes as they threw themselves after their friends, falling into hell.

To be continued…


	3. Falling Into Hell 3

__

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea. All characters, except for ones of my own creation, belong to the wonderful and life-saving people who created the show.

Warnings—Swearing, AU, some OOC, homosexuality, supernatural elements

Note: Hai, hai, I KNOW it's been a long time! I'm so sorry for the wait, too. I'm almost done Nightmares and Dreamscapes/Where Shadows Lie (now under my Sadistic Cow pen name), but I've got writer's block on it at the moment. And, after reading the reviews (and drinking half my bottle of Fireball, ooohhh boy, am I plastered O_o) I got some inspiration for this story. I'm typing like a damn maniac right now guys, it's incredible. It's like, flowing out of me! Haha! Well anyway, I might have lost the mood or whatever for this fic but since a few of you really seemed to like it, after all this time I'm writing another chapter. I can't quite remember where I was going with it in the first place, but oh well. I'll just…go with the flow, or whatever comes to me. Hehe.

Oh, this chapter is dedicated partly to that dude who reviewed and basically said how I wrote Wufei sucked. Yo, I KNOW how complicated he is, but if YOU had been woken up at what, 1 in the morning? You'd be pretty pissy too. So there. I get pissy when I've been woken up, so I think Wufei would too. 'Sides, he's got a lot on his mind, what with the war and all. He's cranky. ^_^

Okay, umm…well that's it for now. Hope y'all like this new chapter.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

"The Magic is in me—the Magic is in me. It's in every one of us."

The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

The city that's born of nerve and steam,

The city that queens the inland sea,

Lay under the sky with a flash and a gleam—

A something wonderful fair to see;

And guests come in by lake and stream

To see another Midsummer Dream.

Colours flashed in the glowing light,

And colour ran on each brilliant street,

And music thrilled through each beaming night

And lightened the fall of ten thousand feet;

And voices ran in a flood-tide strong

That sounded afar like a charmed song.

The hill was proud of the light-lit bay,

And the bay was proud of the lordly hill,

And both were proud of the town that lay

Locked in their embrace fond and still;

And Venice was never as fair as she,

That glowed on the shores of the summer sea.

Her sons come home from far-off lands,

And, beaming, looked on her splendid face;

She welcomed them back as she took their hands

With a mother's love and queenly grace

They felt as they saw her beauty there

None other was half so fond and fair.

—The Khan

_A poetic tribute to Hamilton, circa 1890_

Falling Into Hell

Part III

Written by Azreal

pippin_elf@yahoo.com

There was a deep rumbling under the surface of the earth, a trembling that was barely discernable due to the thundering hoofs of thousands of horses charging across the fields and marching through the city. Flames roared, adding to the chaotic sound of the screaming townsmen as women and children rushed inside their homes to avoid being trampled by the army passing through. However, their rush to escape was in vain: the soldiers followed them into their homes, slaughtering them without second thought.

Laughing and screaming blended together to create a maelstrom of horrific sound, and that was what Wufei found himself surrounded by when he fell from the sky. He fell fast and furiously toward the earth, his bedclothes flapping wildly as he plummeted down, down into the flames of what looked to be hell. Perhaps it was dumb luck that caused him to fall into a thick haystack that, as of yet, had not been burnt, or perhaps it was destiny. The Chinese boy didn't know, but for whatever reason he fell into it, he was eternally grateful.

Rolling into the very center of the haystack, feeling little bits of hay stabbing at him and itching, Wufei shook his head violently, clearing it from the terror he had felt moments before. He shook and he shuddered, his eyes as wide as saucers as he lay still for a moment in the middle of the soft substance that saved him from an untimely death. He gasped for breath and lay on his back, staring at the gold-brown hay that covered him in a thick layer, his heart thudding almost painfully in his chest.

"What…what…" He didn't seem to notice that no one was there to listen to him. "What the…what in the hell was that?" 

Slowly, still in shock, he looked around him. Noticing that he was surrounded by hay, the young pilot of Shenlong began to crawl out from the middle of the haystack, his eyes still bulging and large, his hands still trembling like reeds in the wind. Dimly, he felt the earth vibrating as though in time with his thundering heart, and as he emerged from the layers of hay he came upon a horrible sight.

Bodies, everywhere…corpses strewn this way and that, bloodied and mutilated. Townsmen, women and children unjustly slaughtered, their bodies laying broken in the streets of stone and grain, as buildings burned to ash and lightning licked across the sky. He saw people hung from lampposts, their necks broken and tongues lolling out; he saw children with their insides ripped out and tossed across the pavement; he saw animals, women and young ones trampled to pulps by larger creatures, hoof prints left in their soft flesh and bloodying the streets.

Bile rose in his throat as Wufei's nose picked up the scent of burnt flesh and dead, rotting bodies. He nearly gagged as the stench, and the horror that he saw before him; he covered his mouth with one hand and turned away, his mind screaming at him. _'What is going on? What's happened? Where am I? Where are the others?'_

He didn't see when a young boy, red-haired and thinner than a tree-frog, ran up behind him. He only felt when the boy grabbed his shoulder, causing him to spin around in surprise. Wufei's hand sprung to his sword reflexively, but he froze when the boy's eyes widened and he stepped back.

"Who…who are you?" Wufei demanded, his voice tight and clipped, fearful.

The boy swallowed. "You…you look like you need some help, sir," he said, almost timidly. "There are soldiers in the streets and it's not safe for any of us!"

Wufei's eyes widened slightly before narrowing. "Soldiers?" he asked, his voice low. The boy nodded.

"Aye, soldiers," he replied, rubbing his arms as though he were cold. "Soldiers of Helfast, land to the West of us. They're trying to take us over…well they have already, but some of us managed to escape and we've got a bit of a resistance going on and…" Voices caught the boy's attention, and his eyes grew even wider. Turning back to Wufei, he gave the older boy a terrified look. "If we stay here we're as good as dead!" he whispered. "Please, don't ask questions!" he added as Wufei opened his mouth. "Trust me!"

Wufei's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he nodded. "Very well," he said. "I will trust you."

The boy smiled. "Thank you."

The Chinese pilot scowled a bit. "No time for thanks, boy. Just get us out of here!"

Grabbing Wufei's hand tightly, the boy pulled him into an alleyway and began to run down it, with Wufei at his heels. They dashed away as fast as they could, and as far as Wufei knew they weren't being followed. 

Flames created dancing shadows on the walls, and if he had looked he would have seen many more dark shadows following them, flickering in and out of existence.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Trowa jumped back as a sword smashed into the ground, right where he would have been if he hadn't sensed the attack in time. His green eyes widened as he saw a ten-foot tall, ugly brute that reminded him of an ogre raise the sword again; growling at him as it took a lumbering step forward.

The pilot of Heavyarms opened his mouth to let out a shattering scream, but it was frozen by the sound of a gunshot roaring in the night. His eyes widened as he turned, spotting Heero standing a few feet away, his dark blue eyes as wide as Trowa's as they stared at each other. The ogre creature fell to the ground with a moaning grunt, dropping the sword at Trowa's feet and letting it clatter as it slid toward the tall boy.

Trowa and Heero both shared a look of distress and fear. "What happened?" Heero demanded, almost running toward the Heavyarms pilot in his haste to be close to something familiar.

"I don't know." Trowa took in a deep, shuddering breath. "All I remember…is falling, and grabbing onto a tree branch. The branch broke…and I fell to the ground…but I landed in a pile of leaves. And then this…this THING attacked me."

Heero also shuddered. "I fell on top of a creature like this," he replied. "I think I might have broken its neck when I landed on it." Trowa snorted.

"Lucky for you, it didn't have time to try and eat you," he replied blandly. "I believe this one wanted to take a chunk out of my entrails."

"Lucky for YOU, I came in time to stop it," the Japanese pilot retorted. 

There was a long pause for a moment as the two boys looked at their surroundings. It appeared they were in a dark forest; dead trees with crooked, sharp-looking branches surrounded them in a thick cluster. There didn't seem to be any sign of real life; all the plants were dead, the ground was gray and cracked, the trees looked like hungry beasts reaching out to grasp at them with clawed fingers, the everywhere they looked were shadows. 

"Where do you think we are?" Trowa whispered, fear showing through his voice.

"I'm not sure," Heero replied, his voice as soft as Trowa's. "But it's definitely not where we were ten minutes ago."

"I…where are the others?!" The shout nearly made Heero jump, and he turned to look at the green-eyed boy as a wave of panic washed over his features, concern for his friends taking over the fear for his own life. 

The Japanese boy's eyes narrowed. "I don't know that either," he replied softly. "But I'm going to find out."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"This is the one, Master."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Look at him!"

"Many have shared his looks…but none have been the one."

"But he has the power. Can you not feel it?"

"Of course I can feel it, fool! Do not mock me!"

"I am sorry, Master. Forgive me."

"Very well. This once, you are forgiven."

"Thank you, Master. You are most generous."

"Of course I am, slave."

His eyes fluttered open as a low groan escaped his throat, catching the speaker's attentions. He could see, dimly, through his thick lashes two dark, shadowy figures looming above him, gazing down at him with glowing yellow eyes.

"You are right, my slave," the one said. "I believe he is the one. Look at those eyes…they are filled with magick!"

"What shall I do with him, Master?"

"Take him to the Pits. Tonight, we will have The Ceremony. There is no time to waste, as we are already late."

"Yes, Master."

Duo's head fell back weakly as he felt arms encircle his waist and begin to pull him and drag him across hard earth. Dimly, he knew that something was seriously wrong, but he was too weak to fight it.

__

'Heero…help me…please…'

To be continued…

Gaaahhh, I know it's way too short, but I can't help it! I just got hit by a 'I don't wanna do anything' demon! It's terrible, truly. Anyway…next chapter will hopefully come sooner, since I have a feeling I'll be staying up kinda late tonight. -_- Yay…working on a Yu-Gi-Oh fic, another Gundam Wing one, a Gargoyles fic AND a Lord of the Rings one is really tiring me out. BLAH! This is all I can come up with right now for this story, so please forgive me for its blah-ness. R and R please! ^_^


	4. Falling Into Hell 4

__

Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea. All characters, except for ones of my own creation, belong to the wonderful and life-saving people who created the show.

Warnings—Swearing, AU, some OOC, homosexuality, supernatural elements

Note: Last chapter was really short, and for the next little bit they all will be. This fic isn't intended to be hugely long or anything, so…eh. We'll just see how it goes, shall we? And the next chapter might not come for a while; I got a lot of other stuff I gotta work on. 

But thanks so much to Dreamweaver, who somehow got my ass working on this, whether he/she knows it or not. *grins* Another chapter and new ideas running rampant all because of you. Hope you keep bugging me, Dreamweaver, because out of everyone you're the one who finally got me to want to continue this. How can I not, when you have such lovely ideas? And no, I don't mind the influx of ideas at all! In fact, send more! Whether I use them or not doesn't matter; your enthusiasm is awesome enough!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

"The Magic is in me—the Magic is in me. It's in every one of us."

The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

__

The city that's born of nerve and steam,

The city that queens the inland sea,

Lay under the sky with a flash and a gleam—

A something wonderful fair to see;

And guests come in by lake and stream

To see another Midsummer Dream.

Colours flashed in the glowing light,

And colour ran on each brilliant street,

And music thrilled through each beaming night

And lightened the fall of ten thousand feet;

And voices ran in a flood-tide strong

That sounded afar like a charmed song.

The hill was proud of the light-lit bay,

And the bay was proud of the lordly hill,

And both were proud of the town that lay

Locked in their embrace fond and still;

And Venice was never as fair as she,

That glowed on the shores of the summer sea.

Her sons come home from far-off lands,

And, beaming, looked on her splendid face;

She welcomed them back as she took their hands

With a mother's love and queenly grace

They felt as they saw her beauty there

None other was half so fond and fair.

—The Khan

_A poetic tribute to Hamilton, circa 1890_

Falling Into Hell

Part 4

Written by Azreal

pippin_elf@yahoo.com

Quatre blinked owlishly, his cerulean eyes wide as he slowly turned, gazing at his surroundings in fear and awe. Sitting amidst a pile of colourful bed-sheets and frilly pillows, the teen found that, while he was very afraid, he was comfortable. There was a calm feeling in the air around him, a sense of security that he couldn't place the origins of. Outside, he could see flames dancing and casting shadows on the green fabric of the tent he was in, and every few seconds a humanoid shadow would pass by hurriedly, and soft voices spoke hurriedly.

Dimly, he wondered where he was and where his friends were. He knew he had followed Duo and Heero into the fire-pit, but where were they now? And Trowa, and Wufei…they had followed him, he knew it. They weren't the type of people to abandon their friends.

Frowning, the blonde pushed the blankets that covered him away, only to gasp and yank them back on again as a cool draft touched him. He was naked!!!!!! What in the world—

A head peeked into to the tent. "So, you are awake," a woman's voice said warmly. Looking up quickly, Quatre saw a blonde woman with waist length hair pulled into a high ponytail, clothed in a warrior's outfit of iron and animal skins. She smiled at him and stepped into the tent. "We were wondering when you would finally awaken. Great Mother told us you would very soon, but no one believed her. Your injuries were intense." 

Quatre blushed, pulling the blankets up to his chest to hide his nakedness. "Umm…yes? Who are you? What happened? And where am I?"

The woman frowned, her eyes gazing at him pityingly. "You are amongst the Tri Obla, young one," she replied. "A nomadic people with no place to truly call home. The country we are in is named Shadowstone, called the Fairland amongst my people. I am Gwen, daughter of Or."

"Oh."

Gwen frowned again, canting her head at him. "Are you well?" she asked, moving forward to come to kneel beside him. The teen blushed more and clutched the blankets tightly. "You do not look well," she said, looking at him closely.

Quatre's flush deepened. "Um…where are my clothes?"

She blinked. "You had no clothes when you fell from the sky," she said.

The blonde's jaw dropped open. "HUH???"

Gwen's eyes sparkled with mirth at his embarrassment, though she still retained her look of concern. "When Dia found you after seeing you fall from the sky in a ball of flames, your flesh was badly burned and scalded. It was as though they had been burnt right off of you." Her frowned returned. "We did not know if you would survive the healing process after such terrible injuries." Her smile returned. "But it seems as though you are very strong, foreigner. How came you by such endurance?"

Quatre blushed again, hands fiddling with the sheets. "War does that to you," he murmured softly. Gwen nodded, her face once again dropping into sadness.

"Yes, it does." She replied, her voice taking on a sad note. "A terrible pity, to live in times as these." The blonde teen nodded, silently agreeing.

"I know."

There was silence for a long moment, before Quatre's mind clicked on something. He looked up at Gwen, whose eyes were downcast and face sad. He frowned. "Did you find anyone else who fell from the sky?" he asked, almost hopefully.

She shook her head, shattering any hopes. "I fear not," she said. Then, curiously, "Why?"

Quatre sighed. "Four friends of mine…my family almost, fell into a hole in the earth," he replied softly. "Duo…he was the first. Then Heero. I followed them, and…Wufei and Trowa followed me. I know they did." He shook his head, pushing back the tears. "I can't…I have to find them!" He looked at the woman, who gazed back at him with a blank look on her face.

She was silent for a long moment, just looking at him. Finally, she spoke. "Perhaps the Great Mother can help," she said. 

Quatre blinked. "Who?"

Gwen smiled secretly. "I will show you." There was a pause. "After we find you some clothes."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wufei followed the boy through the twisting alleys, their feet pounding against the ground in time with the thundering of hooves they heard on the other side of the buildings, tramping through the streets. His hair, loose from its ponytail, blew behind him in a black cloud, and sweat dripped down his face as the heat from the burning buildings overwhelmed him. Yet still, refusing to give up, he followed the red-haired boy as he dashed through the shadows.

"Where are we going?" he demanded, panting and nearly out of breath as they rounded another corner.

"Anywhere that is safe!" the boy replied.

"And where would that be?" Wufei sounded annoyed despite his gasps and coughs. The boy glanced back at him with a frown.

"I cannot say where, but I can show you," he replied. At the Chinese teen's astounded and growing angry expression, he added, "There are soldiers everywhere…and not all of them are human. They hear everything."

Wufei's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What…do you mean, not all of them are human?"

"No time to explain," the boy said, stopping for a moment to look around. "There!" He ran toward a ladder that went up to a rooftop, and he began to climb. Wufei followed a bit more slowly, not sure if he could trust the boy.

Throwing caution to the wind, knowing that this boy could very well be his only chance to find his friends, Wufei crawled to the top of the roof and followed him at a run, leaping from building to building as the boy ran. He panted furiously, hair flying back behind him as his arms pumped wildly and he lunged from one building to another, leaping the short spaces between them and dimly noting that there were, indeed, soldiers below. Luckily, none of them noticed him and as they came to a stop atop one large, decrepit home, the Chinese teen breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking around, the boy beckoned to him. Wufei came forward, and frowned slightly as the boy grabbed his hand. "Hold on to me," the boy instructed, turning toward the edge of the building and taking a step toward it.

Wufei gasped as he was pulled into mid-air, his eyes widening as he immediately imaged an imminent fall to the ground and having his head break open like a watermelon.

None of that happened, however, as a strange bluish-purple portal opened up before him, and the red-haired boy pulled him through, into a world of heat and mountains. The Chinese boy gasped again as he looked out over the vast expanse of rocky terrain, wondering how in the world such a place could exist from walking through a hole in the sky.

The red-haired boy looked at him, seeming to understand Wufei's silent question. "We just walked through a gateway to my homeland," he told the stunned teen. "They're everywhere, if you know where to look. And only those of the Wyrm Blood can use them."

Wufei nodded, for once speechless. 

The boy canted his head at the Chinese teen, eyeing him carefully. "So?"

"So? What do you mean, so?" Wufei asked, turning his eyes from the landscape to the red-haired boy, his face pulling into a frown.

"So, why could you get through?" the boy asked.

Wufei blinked. "What?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "I said only those of Wyrm Blood can use the gateways. Nobody, and I mean nobody else can. Not even if one of Wyrm Blood takes them through." He frowned. "I knew you had Wyrm Blood the moment I saw you, but I know everyone who does. There are so few of us left that we all know each other. Who are you? Where are you from?"

Wufei sighed, closing his eyes and letting his shoulders slump in defeat. He was confused beyond any kind of confusion he had known before, and he was ready to give up.

"Kansas." He muttered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Great Mother, the boy who fell from the sky is here to see you, as you predicted," Gwen whispered, bowing deeply to an old woman who half-lay on a pile of pillows and soft blankets, her ancient eyes looking blindly in their direction. Those eyes, white all around, were focused directly on the blonde, who swallowed. She smiled an old, weathered smile, and beckoned him forward.

For his part, Quatre was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He was clothed in a bear-skin kilt that barely reached past the middle of his thighs, held up by a thick leather belt with a circular clasp. A pair of tough brown doeskin boots that reached to his knees were upon his feet, and a thin vest with a large shoulder guard was strapped across his chest, all of which made Quatre Raberba Winner feel like some weird kind of barbarian. He could feel goose pimples forming on his bare skin, and a cold chill swept over him when he looked into the old woman's blank white eyes.

"Come here, child," the crone whispered, her voice raspy yet gentle, warm and commanding. Quatre rubbed his arms nervously as he stepped forward, watching the old woman fearfully and with a great amount of nervous tension. Kneeling down directly in front of her, he kept his movements slow and tentative, ready to bolt if need be. 

He could feel something coming from this "Great Mother." Some kind of aura was around her; a powerful one at that. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew this woman had some kind of strange ability, like his uchuu no kokoro, only stronger. He could almost see it in her blind, white eyes. He didn't even notice that Gwen had left the tent, his attention focused fully on the ancient woman before him.

She regarded him quietly, carefully; despite the fact that she was blind, she was still looking right at him, and her gaze was searching. The two stared at each other, both of them searching: Quatre looking for any sign that he could trust her, and the crone…well, he didn't know what she was looking for in him, but he supposed it was similar to his own reasons.

It seemed like an eternity later when the old woman smiled, her face almost becoming younger as the large, almost impish grin broke out. "Well now," she said, her voice a little deeper than he would have expected. "You seem like a nice young man. How may I help you?"

Quatre blinked. The cold chill in the room lifted; replaced by a warmth that buried itself under his skin, soothing his nerves. Unconsciously, he relaxed. She wasn't dangerous; not to him, anyway. At her smile, he found he had to echo it and smiled back, though it was a little forced. "I need to find my friends," he said quietly. "But I don't know how."

The crone smiled. "I believe, child, that I may be of service to you."

Looking up, the blonde frowned and cocked his head to the side. "How?"

"I will show you."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The creature growled, slipping through the broken and dry underbrush silently. Its large, taloned feet left huge imprints in the dry earth; its steps so heavy that they crumbled the ground beneath it. Its yellow eyes flashed briefly as it sniffed the air, searching for the two creatures it was following. It raised its head for a moment and let out a low snort.

There they were. 

Two humanoid creatures wandering in its forest; its very own territory. The land it had stolen from another of its kind, the land it fought hard for and won. The previous owner was dead; its throat ripped out by the great beast's massive jaws. It had won this land fair and square, in a battle for territory. And now these human things were trespassing.

How dare they?

Behind it, it could hear a softer snuffling. Glancing back for a moment, it spotted its little spawn following closely, watching it carefully. A slight grin, ugly and deformed, crossed the beast's face. Its child would eat tonight. Feast on the trespassers.

It looked back at the humans as they moved through the trees, almost as silent as it was. One was tall and moved like a cat, the other shorter but moving with a purpose. They spoke in hushed voices, seemingly concentrating only on each other as they went, oblivious to the creature's presence.

It bared its teeth and growled.

Yes. It would kill the trespassers and feed its child.

Tonight looked like it would turn out rather well for the Ka Klan.

Hunching its shoulders, it bunched its muscles and prepared to leap.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"How do we know we're going in the right direction?" Trowa whispered, looking around at their surroundings warily.

"I don't," Heero replied shortly.

The taller boy snorted. "Oh well that's wonderful," he muttered.

Heero said nothing, and only continued walking. His thoughts were focused solely on Duo, and how in the hell he was going to find him.

'I know you're here somewhere,' he thought. 'I can feel it. Wherever we are, you're here too…somewhere. And I have to find you. No matter what. I WILL find you. I love you too much to let you go.'

"We're being followed," Trowa whispered suddenly.

Heero stiffened, but kept walking. "By what?" he whispered back, eyes scanning their surroundings carefully.

"I don't know," the taller teen hissed back. "But it's big."

"Hn," was the Japanese pilot's only reply. He kept one hand ready to go for his gun, though he didn't make any obvious movements that would signal to their stalker their knowledge of its presence.

Trowa abruptly stiffened, his head going straight up. His nostrils flared ever so slightly as his breath quickened, and he slowly balled his hands into fists. It was almost upon them.

A great roar ripped through the silent forest as a large, shadowy beast leapt from the shadows alongside them, springing into their paths and blocking the way. It reared up before them as Trowa and Heero both stepped back, its hulking mass casting a shadow over the two boys as they took battle stances.

The beast thumped its fists against its chest like a gorilla, yellow eyes flashing dangerously as it bared its fangs. The two boys stared levelly at it as it took a hulking step toward them, a deep growl rumbling in its throat.

"Omae o korosu," Heero growled, whipping out his gun and firing at the beast as it came for them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Duo opened his eyes slowly, moaning softly as he came to consciousness once more. The last thing he remembered was falling into a pit of fire, and then hearing voices above him saying something about a ceremony of some sort…but his mind was so muddled he wasn't even sure that was what they had really said. He also remembered something about punishing someone in the name of the moon…but he couldn't be sure of that either.

Frowning, he blinked groggily as his head spun just enough to make him feel sick. There was a strange smell in the air, like brimstone. It was horrible, and he coughed and choked a bit before he learned not to breathe through his nose. As his vision slowly came into focus, he noticed that he was in a very, very strange place.

Bones, carvings made of stone in the walls, flesh-made drapes and a long row of skulls that lined up on either side of a small path that led to a huge altar, where a stone slab sat, runes and weird symbols carved into it. Tall candles stood burning just about everywhere, lining the small path and making shadows dance on the walls. Small windows were carved into the stone walls, and demonic creatures of all shapes and sizes peered out from the darkness.

'I'm guessing this isn't Kansas anymore, Toto,' Duo thought to himself with a slight wince. He kept his movements slow and careful, just in case he had any injuries that, as the bad ones usually did, would only make themselves known when he moved. Blinking to clear his eyes, he gave his surroundings another cursory look, memorizing it all in case he had to escape.

Sighing in relief as no bone-jarring, head-splitting agony attacked him, Duo went to sit up but was stopped. He frowned, falling back as he realized that his wrists and ankles were cuffed; a thick chain was attached to a pair of shackles that were locked tightly around his slim wrists and feet, hooked into the stone slab he lay on. And he only knew he was laying on a stone slab was because a) he could feel the cold stone beneath him, and b) he was butt-naked except for a strip of cloth across his waist, and the texture of the rock was aggravating his smooth flesh.

Feeling a draft _down there_, Duo mentally cringed. 'Oh, this is just great,' he thought mournfully, curling his lip in distaste as he looked down and scowled at the ragged, rotten cloth that barely defended his most sensitive spot. 'I fall into a hole in the ground after having a nightmare, wake up to find myself shackled and half-naked and at the mercy of…of whoever did this to me and…I'm naked! Partly! And what clothes I DO have are…like…rotten! Fuck! This is so gross!'

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with his consciousness."

Duo frowned, turning his head to find the owner of the soft, throaty voice that had spoken. Footsteps could be heard moving toward him from somewhere behind him, and he felt a cold chill run up his spine.

A hand reached out of nowhere and grasped his chin, sharp claws poking into his soft flesh. He yelped as a hideous face appeared in his line of sight, riddled with large, dripping pustules and wrinkles that made it look like some sort of ugly hound. A flat nose and fat, leathery lips smirked at him from the face, and two small, beady blue eyes that were nearly hidden under thick folds of skin stared at him. Duo shuddered again, terror gripping at his heart.

The creature smirked at him. "After all these years, I have finally found you," it hissed. "Now I may finally have my revenge…"

Duo screamed, arching his back as he fought against his shackles. Blood began to drip from the cuts in his wrists as he surged against his restraints, and his ankles bled as well from the iron chains. He threw himself forward as far as he could, before lunging back and then forth once more. He shrieked in fury and pain as the three large, demonic creatures watched him with raised eyebrows and slight smirks on their faces.

"A feisty one, he is," one said. "He'll be hard to tame."

"I've no need for taming him, Balroth," said the largest one, the ugly-faced demon clothed in ebony silk and strange adornments made of bone. "All I have to do is mate with him."

"Explain to me again, my lord, how this works?" said the third demon, watching as Duo growled at them, spitting and snarling as he thrashed in his binds. "He is a male, so…how in the world can he have your child?"

"It is not a question of masculinity or femininity, servant," the large demon growled, licking his lips as he watched the braided teen, who scowled at him. "It is the magick. If he is the one we have been looking for all this time, then it will not matter if he is not a woman. When two magicks combine, they create a new, more powerful magick. This new power will grow within him, and when it is ready to take on a physical form..." He trailed off and smirked. "Then we will no longer need him."

The first demon looked sad. "And such a waste of beauty, too," he muttered. "Will you not keep him for playing with, my lord?" His eyes gleamed wickedly as he looked at Duo, who flinched away from the lustful glare.

The large monster chuckled deeply, scratching his chin in thought. "Perhaps," he purred, before turning away. "Now, my servants. Get back to work. The Ceremony MUST continue!"

Duo's eyes narrowed as the three demons walked away, and he felt a shudder run through his body. 'Over my dead body!' he thought with a growl. 'Only one who's gonna fuck me is Heero! Not some nasty-ass fucking demon guy with an ego the size of China!'

To be continued…


End file.
